Digimon Adventure: Key to the Dark World
by Kenliano
Summary: A Digimon with who grew up happily on an island suddenly finds himself confronted with the question of why he exists. His new human partner is taken to the Digital World, where they both inadvertently solve that riddle, and save the world in the process.
1. Prologue

There was a lot of mystery involving the tiny digimon known as Porpamon.

First, his digiegg was found underwater, of all places; a long distance away from the region's nesting place. An Ebidramon found the blue and white digiegg and brought it to the beach of her island home.

When the egg hatched, the second mystery showed itself. Ebidramon and her Gomamon friends had never seen a Bubblemon before. And then, as the small blue digimon grew, they found that he was truly one of a kind. Neither Dorsamon nor Porpamon, the child form he eventually became, was known by any digimon they asked.

That wasn't so strange in itself, though. V-mon, one of the digimon from the Eastern Digiworld, had also been the only known one of his kind when his human found him. They were far more concerned with whoever would be so cruel as to leave a defenceless digiegg all alone underwater. At least, as a water-based digimon, Bubblemon would have been all right had he hatched underwater. But who took the digiegg there, and why?

And so, Porpamon grew as a happy digimon, with friends and family. The mysteries did not concern him much. But it was as he played with his Shakomon friends beneath the waves that he happened upon something that could cause that to change.

"What's that?" he asked, mostly just speaking aloud, but the group of clam-like digimon with soft green bodies in pink-and-black shells all turned to where Porpamon was looking.

The marine mammal digimon's fins propelled him towards the object. As he moved past the underwater boulders and small cliffs, he realised that he was moving closer and closer to where Ebidramon had told him she had found his digiegg. The white-and-blue object that glimmered in the midmorning sun was half-buried in the sand.

"What is it, Porpamon?" one of the Shakomon called. They weren't as mobile as he was, and their yellow eyes peered intently after Porpamon.

But before he had the chance to answer, the unexpected happened. And in an instant, all the questions that Porpamon had pushed aside consumed his mind. With his eyes shut tight, the thought violently echoed through his consciousness:

_What am I?_


	2. Chapter 1

Ken couldn't remember a time in his life when he'd felt more useless than he did right then.

It was the last day of school. Exams were finally over. The final bell that Ken and his classmates would have to hear for a long time had just rung. Months of summer freedom awaited them. So, it should have been a happy moment.

But instead, Ken had to take in the horrid sight of his best friend's lip being split as a fist forced it against teeth. Watch; unable to do anything. And no, he wasn't being held back by anyone. It was fear that kept him where he was. He wanted to help, but couldn't. He wanted to walk away, but he couldn't leave his friend.

Brad was scary: tall, strong... His arms were thick with teenage muscle. That crooked smile told of the many battles he'd been through in the past. And Ken was sure he'd won a great deal of them. Both Ken and his friend Dominick were eleven-year-old pipsqueaks.

_Why'd you do it...?_ Ken thought.

He could still hear Nick's words: _"No. You're not bugging me today, Brad. Go away."_

_You should have just let it go. Now, you're hurt..._

"Next time, you'll know better, right?" A misshapened grin spread across Brad's round face. He and his friends walked away, laughing smugly. There was soon a shuffling of khaki and blue all around them as students walked away, some seeming almost disappointed that there was no real fight.

As the small circle around them dispersed, Ken took the two steps toward where Nick lay on the floor. The front of his khaki shirt was marred with a few drops of blood.

"Nick... You okay?" He knelt beside his friend, reaching out his hand.

"No."

Ken felt the sting of the acid in that one word. Dominick took Ken's hand, allowing the slightly taller boy to help him to his feet.

"I just want to go home," said Nick. As he licked at his bleeding lip, he started walking down the corridor towards the doorway that Brad and some of the other students had headed towards. Ken just looked on in silence, and was surprised when Nick turned around. "You not coming?"

Wordlessly, Ken half-dragged his feet to his friend's side. His eyes never left the ground as they exited the building and walked the asphalt pathway to the school gate.

Nick and Ken had met only a year before, when they both got into high school. Ken had thought it was funny that they'd lived just two blocks away from each other all their lives. As their friendship grew, they developed a custom of walking the 10-minute distance together.

But this time, Ken felt such shame that he could not bring himself to speak the entire way home. They were walking slowly. Other students - girls in their blue and boys in their khaki - walked past them easily. Ken briefly looked up sometimes to see one or two look back at them (well, Nick specifically), probably having been among the group to have witnessed the scuffle.

When they were almost at Nick's house, it was he that broke the silence. "I don't know why I did it. I guess..." Ken looked up at him then. "I was thinking about my brother. You know, one of those bad moods. It's been four years almost, but still it hurts. I... didn't want him to bug me today."

Ken thought that, with his hair cut so low, Nick did seem to look a lot like the picture of his brother that the family kept in the living room. Nick had always said that his brother protected him from bullies in primary school. _Maybe Nick wanted to be brave like his brother,_ Ken thought. _And I just stood there. Watching._

They reached Nick's gate. "Oh, forgot to tell you," Nick said. "I got the video game my cousin sent. Can't even remember the name now, it has some funny name. So, when you're ready, you can come over and try it."

Ken's guilt swelled even more as he looked at Nick's forgiving smile and the red spot on his lower lip. "Okay, bro. Tomorrow." The two dark-skinned friends parted company.

Ken didn't wait to see Nick go through the white metal gate. He walked along, picking up pace now, wanted to get home. He tried not to imagine what Nick would say when his mother asked him how he burst his lip.

Nobody was home. Ken was glad for that. He'd have quiet, if only for a while. He quickly changed out of his khakis and put on a light-blue polo shirt and tan cargo shorts, then dropped himself onto his bed.

"It's summer," he told himself. "Smile."

For the next few seconds, the silence of his bedroom and of his thoughts kept him company. And yet that was quickly broken as a loud sound, the strange union of a pop and a snap, made him jump. There was suddenly something glowing in the air about a metre away from him. It was so bright he couldn't see what it was. And yet, somehow, it didn't hurt his eyes.

Sitting up, he saw it float towards him. And just as the hard object brushed his fingers, it sent out a burst of light that surrounded him. And suddenly, he knew he wasn't in his room anymore.

***

Porpamon's eyes opened slowly as his mind grew calmed. When they did, he found he was surrounded by a white light that preventing him from seeing anything at all. And yet, he knew there was someone there. He could sense it, somehow.

In almost an instant, the light faded, revealing the dark-skinned being whose name Porpamon already knew. It was strange; he hadn't known this person or his name until just a few moments before, after he'd arrived at that spot on the sea floor. The light-blue digimon was happy to see him, as though he had been waiting for them to meet since the day he hatched.

But he hadn't, of course; he'd only just learnt of Ken's existence.

Joy instantly turned to concern when Porpamon saw the boy's face. There was fear in those dark-brown eyes and his lips were pursed together. Ken couldn't breathe.

Instinct took over. Porpamon swam quickly towards the human and commanded, "Hold on to me." Ken obeyed immediately and they moved through the water as fast as the tiny blue fins and the boy's bare feet could propel them.

Porpamon was relieved that the surface had only been about five metres above them. They burst through, allowing Ken to take in a well-needed breath of air.

"Can you swim?" Porpamon asked, after his charge's breathing grew steady.

Ken answered the question with some stammered ones of his own: "W-what...? Where...?"

Porpamon smiled. The boy's confusion was understandable, appearing suddenly in this strange place. Plus, Porpamon had heard that humans were not nearly as diverse as digimon. He doubted that Ken had ever seen a creature like him, much less one that could talk.

"I'm Porpamon, I'm a kind of creature called a digimon. I'll explain more when we get to land, okay?"

***

"No! You can't be serious! He has a _human_ now?" a voice exclaimed in a dark, empty place.

The only light emanated from a barely visible computer monitor-like screen that showed a gauge like those that show how close a download or installation is to being completed. But, of course, in the Digital World, screens don't need actual hardware to exist and it floated like a disembodied head in the middle of this enclosed area.

The lone living entity looked to the screen and the blue bar of the gauge. "This may prove useful. I think I will try a little experiment." A chuckle. "Maybe this human will speed up the process. Enjoy your moment of joy for now, little Porpamon..."

***

Ken was a bit embarrassed to be disrobing in front of Porpamon. Even though he wasn't a human, he could still talk. There were some other, furrier creatures around - mostly white, with some blue stripes - that Porpamon had said were called Gomamon. Ken decided not to take off his pants and, after wringing the salty water out of his polo shirt, he hung it on an almost horizontal branch of a tree that seemed to resemble a mangrove.

"So, this is the Digiworld," he said, saying the word slowly. "And you are digimons."

"No," corrected Porpamon in his slightly squeeky voice, "you don't pluralise it like that. It stays as 'digimon', no matter how many you're talking about."

"Oh." _Oh, great, a grammar Nazi_, Ken couldn't help but think. The five Gomamon were looking at him with intrigue. They'd said it was the first time they'd ever seen a human. Their orange manes fluttered in the sea breeze as they murmured excitedly to each other. "But, why am I here?"

Porpamon smiled a smile that seemed to speak of both patience and empathy. "I'm sorry, I don't know the answer. I think-"

"Porpamon? You're done playing already?"

A voice called out from inland, which was largely hidden by small dunes that seemed to have been kept safe from the tides by the roots more of those mangrove plants. Ken turned to his left and saw a large orange-brown monster as tall as a pick-up truck step out through a break in the dunes, bearing claws larger than he was wide. He stepped back, letting out a cry of fear, and almost ran away before Porpamon stopped him with, "Wait, Ken!"

The monster, which had two large claws and six legs, had a body that resembled a shrimp or lobster, though its head was more like a reptile's. "What's going on?" it asked, those yellow eyes focussed on Ken.

"Ken, this is Ebidramon," Porpamon said. "Ebidramon, Ken." Ebidramon stepped out unto the white sand of the beach, which was likely covered whenever the tide rose to its full height.

"Ken? A human?" Ebidramon said, with obvious surprise in her voice. Her voice sounded feminine to Ken, though her face was hard to read because she had an exoskeleton that didn't allow her face to move very much.

"Yeah," a Gomamon answered. "This is exciting!" The others chattered their agreement.

"Um," Ken said, feeling his confusion, frustration, and fear rising, "I really want to know how I got here, why, and how to get home."

Porpamon sighed audibly. "I don't know, Ken. All I know is, I was playing in the water when I saw that-" with his right fin, he pointed to the blue and white object that Ken still held in his hand - "and when I got to it, it disappeared and then came back with you holding it."

It was actually only then that Ken realised he'd been holding that thing the whole time. As he looked at it, he thought it looked like a sort of digital toy or game.

"I think it's called a digivice," announced Ebidramon. "And if that's true, then you, Ken, are a Chosen Child. We've heard stories about them haven't we?" She swung her huge head around to look at the other digimon, who all nodded. "Chosen Children from your world come here to protect the Digital World from danger.

"And you, Porpamon, are Ken's-"

"Partner," Porpamon said the word the same time that she did. "I know."

"What...? I'm here to protect this world? How am I supposed to do that?"

***

The Shakomon were worried. Porpamon had just left them with no explanation. They'd seen the bright light and seen the other digimon that appeared right in front of Porpamon, who'd taken him to safety. But they had no idea who that digimon was, and how he got there.

Well, they were sure that they were both safe on land. Ebidramon would make sure of that. But not knowing what was going on caused them to worry nonetheless.

While they chattered out their concern, six of the seven took a while to realise that one had grown quiet. And when they finally realised, all they could do was let out a collective shriek of shock and terror.

***

The roar and the splash caught Porpamon's attention, and that of Ken and the other digimon, and they all turned towards the water. What he was commonplace enough: an Octmon that seemed very angry. Digimon got angry all the time. He could see the worry in Ken's face and was about to tell him there was no need to fear when the Octmon started rushing towards them.

Something was wrong.

It didn't take long for the Octmon to get to shore, his red tentacles swinging, tipped with snapping black claws. Crimson eyes glared at the group from a hole in the huge, brown earthen pot that it wore over its head, which had a golden crown resting on it. Its roar was deep and gravelly.

Porpamon felt Ebidramon's claw close gently around him as she gathered up all the Child-form digimon, and Ken, and, with a leap, lifted them out of the the reach of Octmon's sword. "Stay back!" she commanded them, having no time to release them gently, and so letting them fall somewhat roughly unto the sand.

"Kaimei Bokuju!" Porpamon heard Octmon yell, turning to see the gun held by yet another tentacle blast out black ink at Ebidramon.

Fortunately, she was quick, yelling out, "Lobster Step!" before jumping into the air, propelled by water-like energy, then landing on the Octmon, causing an explosion of fire. Porpamon was sure that would have worked.

But it didn't. A single swat of a tentacle from the completely unfazed Octmon smashed Ebidramon into the direction of the sea. The laugh that came from Octmon made Porpamon feel a rage he'd never felt before. Soon after Ebidramon disappeared beneath the surface with a sickening splash, Octmon was going after her.

"No! Stop it!" Porpamon started towards the water, as quick as his fins could let him hop over the sand.

A Gomamon exclaimed, "Stay here, Porpamon!"

"You're not strong enough!" another added.

But he didn't care. He was not going to let this monster hurt Ebidramon anymore. But then, he felt the hand grip him, and it was so surreal that it broke his determination for just a moment. "Don't." That was all Ken had said as he held Porpamon close to his chest.

_I have a human now,_ thought Porpamon. _Ken is part of me..._ Never before had he felt that. If he were to be deleted, Ken would lose him. After he was re-hatched (_if_ he was re-hatched), would they ever find each other again?

"Let me go!"

With his tail, he pushed against Ken and broke free, landing right into a wave as it broke on the beach. He didn't look back.

***

"He's gone."

Ken felt something in his heart that he couldn't name. That tiny creature had so much bravery. Porpamon was risking his life for Ebidramon. It was killing him that he couldn't see beneathe the waves, to know what was happening to Porpamon and Ebidramon. He wished he could help somehow.

"Why'd you do it...?" he muttered, a tear running down his cheek.

And a moment after he spoke those words, he saw the digivice in his hand emit a small burst of light.

***

Porpamon watched helplessly as Octmon pummelled Ebidramon. He was too slow to keep up. And his attacks were doing nothing. Yet, he still tried.

"Bubble Bonanza!" he yelled, sending an onslaught of baseball-sized bubbles at Octmon, glad that his attack could cross the wide distance so much faster than he could. But Octmon merely continued to laugh and to attack Ebidramon with sword, claws, and gun.

"Swim away, Porpamon," he heard Ebidramon say right before a tentacle gripped her and smashed her into a rock on the sea floor.

His Shakomon friends screamed their fright as the fray moved closer to them. Porpamon could feel the hope slipping away from him. Until:

"Porpamon, evolution!" He knew that sensation. He'd felt it when he'd finally evolved from Dorsamon. He felt himself change. He grew taller and his pectoral fins become arms. Long white hair streamed out from his head. His upper body maintained its light-blue colour, while below the belt became a dark-blue dolphin tail with a dorsal fin. His humanoid lower arms wore golden manacles with the digiletters for WATER. When it was all over, he announced his new name, "Aquatomon."

The speed came instantly. He was able to catch up to them in almost no time. Pointing his hand at Octomon, he said in his deep, velvety voice, "Aqua Surge!" A blast of water (invisible in the sea) pushed the tentacled digimon off of the almost unconscious Ebidramon.

But something was still strange about that Octmon. He... laughed. And those bright red eyes instantly filled with malevolent mirth, but then quickly seemed to lose their focus as if Octmon was daydreaming. And then, somehow, the digimon's form began to change. In its stead, a little Shakomon was floating towards the seabed.

Aquatomon caught him, recognising his friend.

"What... happened?" Shakomon asked after shaking his head violently, as if trying to remove whatever was blocking his memory.

"I don't know," was the answer. "But, you're safe." Aquatomon turned to where Ebidramon lay, opening her eyes and looking at him with a small smile. "You both are."

***

The Gomamon kept Ken company as he waited. They all kept a solemn silence, staring out into the salty expanse.

"There!" one of the Gomamon said, pointing. Ken saw a head had popped out of the water. A head with white hair and light-blue skin. And dark-blue eyes. He knew those eyes. Porpamon.

Porpamon, in this new form, led Ebidramon towards the beach, an arm wrapped around her large head. When they got closer, he became Porpamon again and hopped unto the beach, Ebidramon walking weakly beside him.

She stopped before Ken and, with as much of a smile as the hard exoskeleton that covered most of her face allowed, she said, "Because of you, I am safe. You helped Porpamon evolve. Thank you."

Ken still didn't understand what was going on. But he was glad that everyone was all right.

***

"It worked!" Laughter filled the underwater chamber. "It actually worked!"

The gauge was closer to being completely full. The experiment had been a success.

"And so, the human does come in handy after all. This will be all too easy."

The digimon was almost tempted to have a bit more fun, but he knew Porpamon needed to rest or the gauge would remain exactly as it was. Not to mention, there were some other little snags he needed to get out of the way first.


	3. Chapter 2

Porpamon's island home was called Kilobit Cay. Ken learnt that and other things in the night following his arrival to the Digital World. Ebidramon seemed to have healed a lot by the time the moon rose that night. Apparently, digimon's recuperative abilities surpassed that of humans by far.

It was that night that Ebidramon told Ken the story of how she found Porpamon. The three of them (the Gomamon had their own island home fairly nearby) had settled down near the middle of the tiny island, in a circular clearing surrounded by hardy-looking bushes with narrow leaves to prevent losing too much water.

As she rested on her stomach, Ebidramon took up about half the diameter of the clearing. "I found his digiegg near the shore, underwater. It was so strange, I'd never seen one abandoned like that before. At first, I wondered if it was a digimental. I took the egg back home and kept it safe, even as I asked around for any caregiver that might have lost it."

Ken sat across from her, resting his back against a small boulder, his hands wrapped around Porpamon, who was nestled against Ken's crossed legs, his tail flicking absently against Ken's shirt. "So, Ebidramon is like your mother," Ken muttered to Porpamon.

"Mother? What's that?"

Ken hesitated at Porpamon's questioning look. "Oh. Digimon don't have parents?"

"No... What's that?"

"I'll explain later," said Ken.

Ebidramon laughed and said, "If I may continue." Porpamon and Ken nodded and she took her cue. "Porpamon, when you were Dorsamon, something happened that I doubt you remember." Ken saw Porpamon's brow push together slightly as they both waited for her to continue. "You were just a baby, so no doubt you've forgotten. But, just for a moment, very soon after you evolved into Dorsamon, you evolved again into Porpamon, as I held you in my claw.

"It seemed unnatural. You weren't yourself. Your eyes were a piercing red... You seemed angry. But then, you turned back into Dorsamon."

"That's just like what happened to Shakomon," Porpamon said, speaking rapidly. Ebidramon nodded. "But, what was it, how did it happen?"

"I don't know," was Ebidramon's answer. "But I thought you should be told. In any case, I doubt we'll get any closer to solving this mystery tonight. So, if there are no objections, I suggest we call it a night. Try not to worry, little ones. I believe things will turn out well."

The pair nodded their heads and watched as Ebidramon lay her massive head on her claws and her eyes closed. She was probably anxious to get some sleep after the day she'd had.

Ken turned unto his side, glad his bed was made of sand and not rock. "I'm scared," he told Porpamon, whom he still held in his arms.

"Me, too. But I think this is why you're here. If we have any chance of getting through this, it's together." Porpamon turned and buried his face in Ken's chest.

The dark-skinned boy sighed, looking up into the sky and the half moon, wondering if falling asleep outdoors would be a challenge for him. "Okay," he told Porpamon. "It's not like I have a choice anyway. I'm stuck with you."

Porpamon gave a half-laugh at the joke.

"Alright," Ken said after a few seconds of silence, "if you tell me where digimon eggs come from, I'll tell you what a parent is."

***

The next morning, Ken had the unfamiliar experience of being awakened by the sun. He wished for a second that he was indoors, with windows that could shut out that blasted sunlight. But then Porpamon yawned beside him and said, "Morning."

"Good morning," Ken said, sitting up and stretching his arms and legs. It was a clear, beautiful morning. He almost wished he'd woken early enough to see if this world's sunrise was as beautiful as that of Earth.

"Good morning, indeed," Ken heard Ebidramon say. She was reentering the clearing, carrying in one claw a basket made of twigs. "I figured you would be awake soon, so I decided to gather some breakfast."

The meal was unlike any Ken had ever eaten before: some long, thin, leafy seaweed; a fleshy stem, probably of the same kind of plant; and some small pink berries from the bushes that populated the island. It was a good breakfast, but nothing like his mother's cooking. Porpamon loved, it, though. Ken ate quietly, fighting his craving for bacon and eggs.

After breakfast, Porpamon and Ken decided to just do some walking along the beach. Ebidramon kept a watchful eye on them from a mound of sand and bushes.

"I liked her a lot, and used to think about asking her to be my girlfriend," Ken told Porpamon as he stepped through a wave that broke at the shore.

Porpamon hopped beside him, slightly lower down on the beach, and so getting more water to douse his tiny frame. "Were you scared to ask her?"

"Yes. Terrified. And then, she left. Went to live in England last Christmas. Now, I'll never see her again."

Porpamon and Ken were quiet for a while as they moved along. And then, Porpamon said, "Oh, I know what'll cheer you up! Let's go for a swim! As Aquatomon, I can- Hey, what's that?"

Ken turned to Porpamon, then followed his gaze to a rock about four yards away. Ken jogged towards it and picked up the small object that rested on its smooth brown surface. "It's... some sort of pendant."

Ebidramon scuttled towards them and was at their side quickly. Ken spun it around in his hands, showing it to both of them. "It... a tag?" Ebidramon mused. "But... why is it blue?"

It was a strong blue, with a tough glass or plastic sheet that covered an empty space where some sort of flat object could be placed through a slot at the side.

"Ebidramon?" Porpamon asked. "You mean, those things that Chosen Children have that make their digimon reach their perfect forms?"

She nodded her large head. "I think you should keep it, Ken. I think it's meant for you. You just need to find the crest that goes along with it."

Ken twirled the string around his finger, then acquiesced. All of this was so very strange to him. But, he knew that it was he who allowed Porpamon to become Aquatomon. If he could allow his new friend to grow stronger to face whatever it was that had threatened the peace of this part of the Digital World's vast ocean (or rather, the Lan Sea, as he learned it was called), then he would definitely try.

"Ken!" Porpamon yelled.

But Ken had no chance to dodge. The gentle claws that had saved him from Octmon's attack the day before became a painfully gripping vice.

"Ebidramon! What are you doing?" Ken screamed in terror.

He twisted himself as much as he could and then, he saw it. Her eyes were red, just like the Octmon's was. She let out a laugh that scared him even more. It was a chuckle, one that sounded so very satisfied. One of her antennae moved towards him, nudging him playfully, the way a cat is with its food.

Ken turned his head to where Porpamon was, on the sand nearby, a look of shock on his face. His blue eyes seemed so moist. As soon as he realised that, he felt himself being flung into the air. He heard the voice as he twirled uncontrollably: "Ebidramon, super-evolution! WaruSeadramon!"

It was not a claw that caught him. He fell with a splat against a large pink tongue. As the mouth closed, Ken had never screamed so loudly in his entire life.

***

"Porpamon, evolution! Aquatomon"

He wished this wasn't happening. The digimon who cared for him his entire life was carrying away his new best friend in her _mouth_!

As Aquatomon chased WaruSeadramon as fast as his fins could carry him, he realised that WaruSeadramon was keeping her black-helmeted-head out of the water. She wanted to keep Ken alive. Her green tail moved with mocking swiftness, and Aquatomon simply could not catch up with them.

He saw his Gomamon and Shakomon friends at the bottom as he passed them. He found that staying beneath the surface, he could move faster. They passed over the hills and valleys of the ocean floor, though Aquatomon paid little attention to the scenery.

And then, she submerged. Aquatomon saw her serpentine form, red with green stripes and a whole lot of fins that propelled her forward, move towards the seabed.

"Oh, no. Please don't drown, Ken," he muttered. His muscles were burning, but he refused to slow down. WaruSeadramon vanished into an large hole in a rocky hill. After a painfully long set of seconds, Aquatomon got in after her. He hoped that, with an opening large enough to allow WaruSeadramon to enter with such ease, the cave allowed both their movements just as easily.

He swam down through the short tunnel until it opened up into a cave. He looked left and right, but saw nothing but darkness. _No! I have to wait for my eyes to adjust to the dark!_ Aquatomon thought, cursing every second that this cost him.

Soon (not soon enough, though), he realised the that the cave was massive, and lined with a rock that gave out a very dim light. That seemed too convenient. Something was wrong. But when he looked up and saw WaruSeadramon's silhouette slithering above him, he tossed the thought aside and shot up towards her.

He as he neared the perfect-level digimon, he became aware of the glimmer that only happened at a boundary between air and water. This cave had a large air bubble. Ken was safe.

He broke the surface. He trod the water at one end of the cave, and WaruSeadramon was at the other, only her head above the water. Her mouth was partially open. Aquatomon could see Ken peering out between her sharp teeth.

"Porpamon!" Ken called out, unable to push more than an arm from the large digimon's mouth.

"Let her go, WaruSeadramon," Aquatomon demanded, surprised that his voice was so calm, belying the rage and confusion inside him.

"What will you do?" she said. "You're just an adult. You don't stand a chance against a perfect digimon like me."

Aquatomon knew it was true. _And Ken might get hurt._ "What do you want? Why are you doing this?"

WaruSeadramon laughed. But she said nothing. All she did was open her mouth. Aquatomon saw Ken kneeling on her tongue, looking absolutely terrified. And then, something at the cave's ceiling caught Aquatomon's eye. Whatever it was moved too fast for him to get a good look at it. But it moved towards Ken. He couldn't be sure in the dim light, but it seemed to shrink and move towards Ken's tag.

"Ken's crest!" Aquatomon said, with a gasp. And then, a loud maniacal laugh from WaruSeadramon preceded a powerful tail pinning him to the coarse rock of the cave wall.

***

"Porpamon! Stop it, Ebidramon! Please!"

From behind enamel bars, Ken could only watch as his friend was held in place, unable to move anything but his head. Her tail was so broad. She had lifted her head higher above the water.

"Only you can save him, dear Ken," the sea serpent said. He was surprised that her mouth didn't move as she spoke. The sensation of hearing a voice coming from a throat just a few feet behind him sent a wave of fear through his body.

"What? How?"

"You now have in your possession the Crest of Confidence. With that, you can give him the power to evolve. And if he evolves, he can defend himself against me."

"Me...?"

Ken looked down at Aquatomon, whose teeth were gritted together against the pain. He wished that Porpamon was there beside him, telling him what to do. Porpamon was the strong one, the confident one, the brave one. If his strength of heart was the one that gave the strength to evolve instead of Ken's, then this would be no problem.

"You can do it, Ken," Aquatomon yelled out. "Believe in yourself. Believe in us."

_But..._ Ken felt himself resist. But he forced himself not to. He had done it before. He had allowed Porpamon evolve to Aquatomon. "So, I can do this," he muttered. "I can."

_I can._

"Aquatomon, super-evolution!" Ken watched with jubilance as Porpamon sank beneath the water, the green tail releasing him. It worked! It was the same blue face and white hair that popped out of the water. But, the eyes were a fierce golden colour as they glared at WaruSeadramon. This new digimon declared his name, "WarriorAquatomon." The blue and red gun that he pointed at WaruSeadramon, attached to a manacle on his right arm, was definitely knew.

"Now," WarriorAquatomon said, "let him go."

***

"This can't be!"

In his own underwater cave, the digimon that had caused Ebidramon's change growled in impatience.

"He's fully evolved, the gauge should be full!"

He glared at the screen in front of him. It was almost full, with only one sixth of the gauge missing the blue hue.

But it didn't take long for him to come up with a theory. And he knew what he had to do.

***

WarriorAquatomon's head had just come out of the water, so he knew it would be camouflaged by the dripping seawater, but he was crying. He was pointing the barrel of his gun at the digimon who'd cared for him ever since he was an egg, the digimon who was threatening the safety of his friend, but who probably had no control her actions.

But suddenly, as he watched WaruSeadramon's grinning face, he suddenly felt the strength leave him. And, unable to stop it, he became Porpamon again, staring into the face of terrifying power.


	4. Chapter 3

WaruSeadramon's blazing red eyes, surprisingly bright in the dimness of the underwater cave, were unwavering. Porpamon was frozen in place by fear, floating on the water, unable to take his eyes from WaruSeadramon.

What followed next brought both relief and heightened fear. WaruSeadramon's eyes rolled up in her head. And then, her head bobbed; just a bit at first, and then she seemed to full on faint. Somehow, Ken managed to get proper footing to jump out of her mouth. By the time he splashed into the water, WaruSeadramon had devolved to the form that Porpamon knew, Ebidramon.

Ken gasped for air when he swam back up to the surface. When Porpamon saw that Ken was swimming toward the wall, he dived after Ebidramon. She was sinking slowly. And he was worried that she was hurt.

***

This was one of the most frustrating times of Ken's life. Ebidramon was at the bottom of the cave, and - by all appearances - unhurt. Alive, since Porpamon told him that digimon vanish when they die.

But she wasn't waking up.

Porpamon had found a small outcropping of the rock that he could sit on. It was a rough and painful perch, but after the difficulty he'd had climbing the sharp (and slippery) rocks to this seat a foot over the water's surface, he was not anxious about having to climb back up if he couldn't find any others.

Porpamon's head popped out of the water. "I brought food," the light-blue digimon said. Or at least, that's what Ken thought he said. His speech was muffled because he was holding something in his mouth.

Holding on to rock wall for leverage, Ken reached down and picked it up. And then, he spread it across his lap. It was a large flat leaf that Porpamon had severed from whatever plant it had grown on. The digimon had used it to carry the same sort of meal Ebidramon had given them that morning, except it had no berries. Ken sighed, but picked up bit of fleshy vegetable and started eating.

"What about you?" he asked Porpamon between bites. He absently kicked his feet, which were submerged.

"I ate while I was out there."

They had been there for at least an hour. Porpamon spent that time moving back and forth between Ken's rocky perch and where Ebidramon lay. He mostly stayed at the bottom with her, unwilling to leave her side for long. Ken was stuck inside the cave. He could not hold his breath long enough to make the long journey towards the cave opening and then to the surface. And Porpamon couldn't evolve (and so increase his speed), no matter how he tried.

"Ken, there's something wrong."

The boy felt his heart get ready to sink even deeper than it already had. What more could go wrong?

"There's some sort of... barrier around us, Porpamon said. "Around the cave. I tried to go get some help, but I hit up against something. it's invisible, goes all the way up to the surface, and all away around this cave. I was lucky the space inside it was big enough that I could find food."

Ken put down the piece of leaf he was about to put in his mouth. "What's going on here, Porpamon?" His voice cracked, surprising him.

Porpamon didn't answer, as Ken expected; he just floated on the water, his eyes shifting from Ken's gaze. Ken started eating again.

They stayed like that for a few minutes. Ken knew Porpamon felt more hopeless than he did. He wondered what his parents and his sister were doing. They were worried. He was sure of that. To get home and find signs that he'd got back from school, and yet no sign of where he went after that... That must have been terrifying for them. They probably called family members, friends (like Nick) and asked them if they'd seen him, and made all of them start worrying, too.

And Ken had no idea how to get back home. He missed them all.

A sound broke through his thoughts. It was like a crack, but pinpointing its source in this echoing chamber was difficult. It was followed by a much louder crack. And another. Finally, Ken found the source. The ceiling. There was a huge cleft above them. The roof was caving in!

Ken knew what would happen if all the water from up there got in. There was no way he could survive that. But when a pillar of light broke through, causing his heart to do a strange dance in his chest, no water followed it. Large chunks of rock lifted apart, revealing a blue sky and wispy white clouds. The cave started pulling apart above and then around them.

Before the outcrop he was sitting on could fly away with him on it, Ken jumped into the water. He held on to Porpamon, whose eyes reflected the confusion he knew he himself was feeling.

"Porpamon," he said, "the water level's dropping!"

And it was dropping fast. They could do nothing but wait. As they moved closer and closer to the sea bed, the cave continued to pull apart. Soon, they could see that a wall of water surrounded the cave, a wall that reached all the way to the surface. It formed a cylinder except for a corridor, about four feet wide, that extended from it.

The two suddenly became aware of a black pillar, the shape of an obelisk, that had been encased in the wall. The rock that covered it pulled apart, and more and more of it became visible.

Soon, they could see the sea floor clearly. And what they saw surprised them. Ebidramon lay on the floor of what had been the cave. They expected to find nothing there but her. But there was someone else with her.

A digimon with a body like a large seal was there, floating beside her. It was mostly green, except for a purple snout, some purple stripes on the side of its face, and purple on its tail fins. A large, bony, blue, fish-like fin was on its back and another, smaller one on its head. Each of its fore fins bore long, sharp, purple claws. Its left one had what looked like bandages wrapped around it, and the other bore a brown belt with daggers - which had white handles and golden blades - wrapped around it.

"Fenamon," Porpamon said. "I've seen a few of them before. What's he doing?"

One or two seconds later, Ken's feet touched the floor. The cave walls were completely gone, as if it was never there. They were standing on a plain kilometres across, with rocks from the cave wall scattered haphazardly around him. And the black pillar towered above them. Porpamon jumped from Ken's arms.

"What are you doing with Ebidramon?" demanded the small digimon, as soon as the water completely receeded from around them.

Fenamon didn't look dangerous. He even looked adorable. But seeing the manacing look in his red eyes as he floated in midair beside Ebidramon's unmoving form, Ken quickly knew that this digimon, at least six feet long, was the one who was resposible for all of this.

"You're just a child. You don't stand a chance against a perfect digimon like me."

Ken inhaled sharply, recognition setting in. That was almost word for word what WaruSeadramon had said to Aquatomon earlier. He couldn't see Porpamon's face, but he was sure that wasn't lost on his friend.

"What do you want?" Ken asked. But Fenamon didn't even look at him. He repeated himself. Same result. _Is he... ignoring me?_ Ken wondered.

"Porpamon." The crimson-eyed digimon had a wide smile on his face. "That Dark Tower is responsible for your inability to evolve. At the end of that pathway is the way to get enough strength to destroy it. You have three minutes."

"Or what?" Porpamon asked. The anger was thick in his squeeky voice.

"Or your dear Ebidramon will be die."

Porpamon hesitated for a few seconds, then said curtly, "Come on." He hopped ahead as fast as he could, and Ken headed after him, looking at Fenamon from the corner of his eye. The wet sand squished beneath his toes, but even so, he could run faster than Porpamon could hop, so he picked up his friend and ran towards the water corridor.

"We're giving him just what he wants," Ken said, not liking the look of things.

Porpamon answered bitterly, "I know. But we don't have a choice. I won't let him hurt her."

When he reached the water, he let Porpamon jump into the wall. As he started running again, he berated himself for not testing the water first to see Porpamon could go through the wall without incident. But, with his arms free, he could run faster, and Porpamon could swim faster than Ken could run.

He ran for a few metres, jumping over rocks and seaweed. And then, he saw it. It was as though a cuboid chunk of rocky ground had been lifted from somewhere else and placed there, at the end of the path.

Panting heavily, he slowed down when he reached it. And resting on the lump of rock was what looked like... an egg. It was at least as large as an ostrich's, but only the top and base were white. Well, there were small white circles in the fairly light blue band around the centre. The bondaries between the blue band and the white top and base were wavy, like the way a child might draw the surface of water. A tail fin stuck out from the back, somewhat like Porpamon's, and a two pectoral fins stuck out from the it as well, propping the egg up. Both were Porpamon's light blue.

And on the front of it was a symbol that Ken thought he'd seen before. After a second, he reached for his tag. The symbol on the egg matched the one on the egg. Like a ball floating above water, with ripples beneath it. Porpamon jumped out of the wall of water, landing beside Ken.

"It's a digimental. You have to pick it up. It'll allow me to evolve."

Ken didn't need to be told again. He reached over to it, and grasped the egg, which was about waist level. He picked it up easily. A column of blue light shot out from where the digimental had stood. And then:

"Porpamon, armour evolution!" Ken watched as his digimon friend grew, though not as much as when he became Aquatomon. He seemed at least a foot and a half shorter than Aquatomon's seven feet.

His fins grew longer and more humanoid, and at the end of each fin were four rudimentary fingers, and his tail had seven similar projections. Around his waist was a thick belt that seemed to be made of some kind of armour with the same colour code of the digimental. He had a chest plate that wrapped around his back and a helmet, both of the same colours. And on his chestplate was the Crest of Confidence.

"Selchimon, Finned Confidence!" he declared. Propping himself up with his fins, he said, his voice a somewhat deeper version of Porpamon's, "Ken, head back." Then, he rolled back into the water.

Ken watched him swim away, much faster than Ken could keep up with, then obeyed. As he neared where they had left Ebidramon and Fenamon, he could see, though somewhat blurry because of the distance, Selchimon start spinning, his pectoral fins stretched out. Then, he splashed out of the vertical water and crashed into the Dark Tower, a small whirlpool surrounding him.

It started falling like a felled tree. It splashed though the wall of water. And then, it hit another wall, this one invisible. It seemed to break through it, because it continued falling after a second or two. And sank into it, soon hitting into the seabed, making a cloud of sand form around it.

Selchimon had returned to the water and - by the time Ken could see Fenamon and the still-unconscious Ebidramon - had become Porpamon again. But as Ken watched, he evolved again. He could not hear Porpamon declare his change, because of the water, but he saw him become Aquatomon and then WarriorAquatomon, in quick succession.

And with a look of ferocity, WarriorAquatomon blasted some water-like energy in the shape of a torpedo from the gun attached to his right arm. The golden plate on his left shoulder, with its sharp horn-like projection, glimmered.

Before Ken's eyes, Fenamon simply floated out of the way. And with a simple wave of his fin, he said calmly, "Mind Control."

Ken gasped. "No." He was sure what that meant. He turned to WarriorAquatomon and saw what he feared. His friend's eyes had turned bright red.

WarriorAquatomon swam forward and stuck his head out of the water. He clenched a right fist in front of the large white triangle on his chest. As the words came out of his mouth, they came from Fenamon, too:

"I am going to enjoy this."


	5. Chapter 4

Ken stepped back, almost stumbling. _This can't be happening. It can't!_ he screamed in his head.

Fenamon looked to Ebidramon, and said, "You've outlived your usefulness." He floated away from her unconscious lobster-like form.

Ken felt a surge of rage. Fenamon was just going to leave her there; use her for his own purposes and then leave her there, sleeping and possibly hurt. What sort of evil was this?

But, with all the rage he felt, fear told him that he could do nothing, and kept his trembling feet precisely where they were.

Fenamon floated towards WarriorAquatomon. "Ah, let me check..." He turned to his left (away from Ken) and what looked like a computer screen appeared, without a physical monitor accompanying it. At its centre was a full blue gauge and some words in some strange language.

"Complete. Just as I thought. My key is now complete and ready." Fenamon turned away from it and it vanished. And he turned to WarriorAquatomon again. Ken watched as his friend glowed. And the symbol on its chest (a white equilateral triangle with its apex pointing downward, and three small blue ones, each with a side perpendicular to one of the white triangle's sides) turned black.

It wasn't an ordinary black, though. It had depth, as though WarriorAquatomon had become a door to another world. A swirling black ball suddenly rushed out and crashed into Fenamon. But, despite Ken's hope, it didn't cause him pain. Instead, the digimon laughed. His entire body turned black and seem to radiate a black glow.

"Fenamon, evolution!"

Ken felt his eyes widen and his heart rate quicken. If he was powerful enough to gain control of WarriorAquatomon so easily, what strength would he have after evolving? The black glow dissipated.

"Nyksmon."

This digimon looked very different form his previous form. He still had a fish-like fin, but this one was more ocean green, and it went down straight from his head down to his reptilian tail. But his body was more humanoid, with blue skin notably lighter than Porpamon's, and scales of the same colour that covered his arms up to half-way up the upper arm. He wore a purple vest with a golden hem, a white sash around across his chest (fastened with a cerulean gem), and a pair of baggy brown trousers.

Nyksmon's eyes were unseen, behind a white blindfold. He had straight blue hair that stopped at his neck, and sharp red claws on each of his fingers and toes (three on every hand and foot). Both his lower legs were wrapped in bandage-like strips of cloth.

"Perfect," the newly evolved digimon said. Now that he had feet, he could walk towards WarriorAquatomon. "I now have all the strength I need." He turned to WarriorAquatomon, who had a blank expression on his face. The mark on Ken's digimon's chest had returned to its original colours.

Nyksmon continued, "You gave me quite a bit of trouble. Had me wait for so long. But, you are a part of me. It would please me to have you at my side. Two powerful digimon are better than one."

Ken knew what would happen next.

"WarriorAquatomon, evolution!" This change was unlike the others. Ken could feel it. The power to evolve did not come from the bond he shared with his digimon. It came from Fenamon. "FallenMarineAngemon!"

Ken's friend had shrunk. He had become probably three feet tall. He floated out of the wall of water, moving slowly towards the boy. He was dark blue, with a pair of feathered wings, two almost sock-like ears that tapered, and a matching tail. Ears and tail were tipped with a lighter blue. A tear-drop-shaped light blue mark was beneath each crimson eye. And he had diminutive arms with no fingers.

He didn't look like a big scary monster. But if he was more powerful than WarriorAquatomon, he could squash Ken with ease.

Once again, both Fenamon, who watched with what looked like intense satisfaction, and FallenMarineAngemon spoke. The sound of both voices in unison sent shivers through Ken's body. "Just one little bit of fun before I get down to business."

FallenMarineAngemon's tiny voice spoke the words, "Feather Strike!" He spread his wings and some dark-blue, feather-shaped energy attacks shot forth from them, aimed straight at Ken.

Finally galvanised, the dark-skinned body ran for dear life, ignoring the discomfort of his still-wet clothes. Each feather seemed to hit the ground right behind him. He heard it again, "Feather Strike!" and kept running, knowing he was crying, but not caring.

Then, he tripped.

He let the tears flow freely. And he refused to face his killer, his... friend. He forced his eyes shut. _I'll just accept it. I'm going to die. I can't do anything about it._

_No. You're not bugging me today, Brad. Go away._

The words came out of nowhere, and he snapped his eyes open in surprise.

_If we have any chance of getting through this, it's together._

_You can do it, Ken. Believe in yourself. Believe in us._

"Can I?" He muttered. He knew FallenMarineAngemon was coming closer. He could see the small digimon's shadow. _Nick's the strong one. Porpamon's got more strength than I ever will. I can't..._

_You can._ It was Porpamon's voice. But this one wasn't a memory. Was Porpamon... speaking to him? He turned, only seeing FallenMarineAngemon, fierce crimson eyes looking thirsty for Ken's suffering. And yet, from somewhere behind those eyes, Ken could hear his friend speaking to his mind.

_I am your strength. And you are mine. We can't do this alone. I need your help. You can do it. Trust yourself as I trust you._

Ken ripped his body from the fear's control and made himself stand up. FallenMarineAngemon smiled. He was going to attack again. "Feather Strike!"

But before the deadly onslaught could reach him, Ken had his digivice in his hand. And from its screen, a bright light burst forth, engulfing the attacking digimon in its glow, causing the attack to disintegrate.

"What?" Ken heard Nyksmon yell.

And before the boy's eyes, the tiny digimon started to grow. And WarriorAquatomon soon floated in its stead. When the light faded, the digimon fell to the wet sand. He could not fly as FallenMarineAngemon could.

Ken ran to his panting friend. "You did it, Ken." There was a smile on his face. But then, those golden eyes turned to Nyksmon and the smile turned to a deep frown. "I don't know what you're planning, but I know I can't let you get away with it."

The gills on Nyksmon's cheeks flared as he clenched his claws. "Bold talk for someone who can't even move. I have legs. You don't. And I've surpassed perfect form. You don't stand a chance."

For a brief moment, Ken felt worry sweep through his heart. WarriorAquatomon _did_ look pitiful propping himself up with his hands, his tail stretched out on the sand.

"You sealed your own fate, Nyksmon. You've unlocked in my data something that you had to struggle to attain." He turned to Ken. "Ready?"

Ken smiled and nodded. In one hand, he clenched his digivice, and in the other, he held the tag. _Together,_ he thought. And with that, he felt the strength pass from him to WarriorAquatomon.

"WarriorAquatomon, evolution!" This change was as dramatic as the one that Nyksmon caused. He became dark-blue again, but grew at least five feet. All armour and other coverings vanished. His tail changed from dolphin-like to shark-like, with purple stripes and two pairs of fins, one at the pelvis, and one near the green tail fin.

A shark-like dorsal fin was on his back and a similar, smaller one on his dragon-like head, which bore a mouth of sharp teeth, two long ones in particular that protruded from his upper jaw were visible, even when his mouth was closed. His chest and abdomen were the same purple as the stripes on his tail. His eyes had become bright green.

When the change was done, this digimon announced himself: "Peladramon." And he wasted no time. "Ocean's Roar!" He opened his mouth wide and immediately a blast of cerulean energy at Nyksmon.

With a yell of anger, the humanoid digimon was sent flying straight into the vertical seawater, which immediately faltered. It was as though the invisible wall that had been keeping back the water vanished and the water came tumbling towards Ken and his digimon all at once.

"Hold your breath," Peladramon instructed. He wrapped Ken in his powerful arms, shielding him from the coming waters as they turned and swirled. It felt like it took five minutes for the water to fill the empty space. With the side-to-side motion of his powerful tail, Peladramon carried Ken to the surface, even before the water had calmed completely.

"What are you going to do?" Ken asked, after pulling in a well-needed lungful. "You can't fight him and protect me at the same time."

"Leave that to me," a voice said. Ken and Peladramon turned and saw a Gomamon swimming towards them. "We've been trying to find you all day!" he said.

"Thank you," Peladramon said to his old friend. He relinquished Ken to the Gomamon. From the safety of a life raft built of colourful fish, Ken watched his digimon vanish beneath the water.

***

As Peladramon dived, he searched for his opponent. He saw more of his Gomamon friends using the fish creatures they controlled to carry Ebidramon a safe distance from the fight. And then, he saw Nyksmon. He was just floating there, near the bottom, as if his mind had separated from his body.

And then, suddenly, he was animated. Peladramon could feel the rage emanating from him, though many yards away. The blindfolded digimon screamed, "Desperado Claw!" and rushed forward, closing the distance between them in less than a second.

Peladramon barely managed to dodge the glowing red claws, then whacked him with his tail. Then, he punched at the water, yelling, "Leviathan Fist!" A blast of glowing gold in the shape of a giant serpent rushed forth from Peladramon's hand and crashed into Nyksmon.

Then, Peladramon rushed up to him, grabbed him with three-fingered claws, and got ready to attack him with his Ocean's Roar.

But, it happened again. Nyksmon had stopped moving. But, somehow, he didn't sink into his mind alone. He took Peladramon with him.

***

_My key._ A voice, barely a whisper in the chaos of the mind. _I just wanted my key._

_What key?_ Peladramon asked.

The voice didn't answer. But somehow, Peladramon knew.

He had wanted to grow stronger. He needed to, for his plan to work. He created another world, and the only key that could open it. It took a lot of his strength, but it would have been worth it. In this world, he stored a piece of himself. And there, that piece would grow, gathering power until, one day, he could absorb it unto himself, and surpass his former limitations.

But, when he left the pocket world, the door closed violently, sending him flying. He lost the key. And it sank into the sea. He searched and searched, but couldn't find it.

It was later that he knew what had happened. Somehow, the key had absorbed the data of the water around him, becoming a digiegg. Not only that, though. It had somehow created other objects, too; objects associated with the connection of digimon with... (the word was connected with utter hatred in Nyksmon's mind) _humans_. But, it had lost its ability to open a door to the world he'd created.

When Bubblemon evolved, it became clear that the evolution brought the key closer to unlocking its lost ability. And so, it was only natural to try induced evolution to see if that would work. It didn't. It seemed only natural evolution could do the job.

And then... the _human_. Somehow, Porpamon called through space and time to create that bond. It was ironic. One of the creatures that Fenamon had hated so much had been the means to bringing the key closer to completion.

_But why...? What is it you want?_

_Humans,_ Nyksmon answered. _They don't deserve to live._

_You'd destroy the entire human world?_

_Yes. And every last one of them._

_But why...?_ And then, Peladramon saw. _You... had a human. He died._

_A human killed him! I watched, I couldn't stop the damage the bullet caused. I was... weak, powerless._

Had Peladramon been able to feel his eyes, he would have lowered them, in mourning of the news. What a horrible thing.

_But, look what you've done to yourself. You've let the anger and pain damage your mind. Would he want you to be like this? Always broken, never healed? Would he want you to destroy his home, his family, his friends? Would he want you so this, to try and push all memory of him away? It doesn't heal the pain. It just makes it worse._

_Get out! Why are you here?!_

_You called me, Nyksmon. Because, deep down, you know what you need. You created me from your own data. I am a part of you. I can be a friend._

The thoughts became harder to hear as Nyksmon pushed him away. But Peladramon heard: _Friend..._

***

Suddenly, Ebidramon's eyes snapped open. She found herself being carried away by Gomamon's Marching Fishes. With a swift movement of her tail and claws, she lifted herself away from them, looking around, confused.

"You're awake!" the Gomamon said simultaneously. The Marching Fishes dispersed.

"What..." - Ebidramon's gaze settled on something beyond the Gomamon, and the other word that came out was barely a whisper - "happened?"

The Gomamon all turned in her direction and saw what she saw. The unfamiliar glowing digimon that swam up to them was a Dramon like herself. She could see it in his reptilian-looking snout. But as soon as this digimon spoke, she knew it was her Porpamon.

"Thank you, Ebidramon. You cared for me all my life. I will never forget you."

Ebidramon knew a goodbye when she heard one. From deep inside her digicore, she wanted to protest, ask what he meant, where he was going, but she had been expecting it. "You make me proud, my Porpamon. You belong with Ken. Just promise me that you'll find a way to visit."

Porpamon's new form nodded his head, almost as massive as Ebidramon's. "I will miss you all. Goodbye." Dark-blue fins, arms, and snout all vanished as the digimon (whose name Ebidramon still didn't know) disintegrated into a gentle blue light.

***

Safe on the sea's surface, Ken grew worried. He couldn't see enough from where he knelt on the Marching Fishes. He had no idea what was going on. Patience was so much harder than he would have liked. He was so very worried. And then:

_We did it, Ken._

Three ribbons of water slowly came forth from the sea and met above Ken's head. The water from the ribbons emptied into a ball of water, shivering in the sunlight. The ball of floating water moved descended towards Ken, growing opaque, but still keeping its gentle glow. Soon, as Ken took it into his hands, it became a light-blue egg with large white spots on it. And on the side facing him was the same symbol that was on WarriorAquatomon's chest: the white triangle with blue ones surrounding it.

_Time to go, my friend._

He barely had time to say goodbye to the Gomamon before the light from the egg engulfed him. Just two days before, he would never have thought that he would find himself in another world so different from his own, and yet so similar, with a new friend who taught him so much about inner strength.

And finally, finally, he was going back home.


	6. Epilogue

Nyksmon was in a familiar place. And yet, it had changed. The walls were the same off-white, and the floor had the same lime-green carpet. But there was only one bed, and it was in a different place - opposite the louvre windows, instead of right next to them - and the dresser was closer to the door.

He was aching all over. He could feel his legs shaking, threatening to fail under his weight. But he wanted to be there, to stand in that room. There was no other place in any world he would rather be.

As he'd broken the mental connection with Peladramon (_I shrank into myself and pulled him with me. I really am unstable, aren't I?_), he, Nyksmon, revealed to Peladramon an ability that they shared.

Being compiled from Nyksmon's data, Porpamon and all his forms had the ability to open doors between worlds, one of Nyksmon's most treasured abilities. It had allowed him to create a world in which he could allow his powers to grow, a world that he had sealed so no one else might happen upon it.

And it was this ability that allowed him to enter the world of humans for the first time, years before. He'd been planning to use it again, to come to this world and destroy it.

His unseen eyes beheld the boy as he entered the room through the open door. "Mark?" Nyksmon whispered out with surprise. "But... you can't..."

The boy hesitated for a second, then said, "No. I'm Nick. His brother."

"Oh." Nyksmon's clawed fingers clenched tightly around a small, hard object. "You look like him." He lowered his head a little, feeling his gills flare along with some emotion he had a hard time understanding. Anger? Sadness? Disappointment...? In his attempt to push all memory of Mark away, and in conjunction with his anger towards his death, he had created the idea that humans were all evil. He would have killed Nick, Mark's family...

Nick's dark, almost black, eyes turned down to the carpet as he said, "Yeah. You're his friend, aren't you? The one who came here from another world. I haven't seen you since he died." He lifted his head back up and said, "You look hurt. Do you need some help?"

"No." Nyksmon said. A lie? "Either way, your doctors wouldn't be able to help a digimon."

"But I can't just leave you like this. Is there anything I can do? Do you need some food?"

Nyksmon turned and looked out the window at the green, sun-drenched grass. He felt his knees fail and he fell into a kneel, painfully, despite the cushioning of the carpet. And Nick was by his side in an instant. It was then that the object in his hand gave off a gentle glow. He opened his hand and saw Mark's digivice, with its small antenna, three blue buttons, and the English digiletters for DIGITAL MONSTER around the screen. And then, he smiled.

"I think this is yours now," he told Nick, placing the digivice in the confused boy's hand. With a sigh, he let go of all that he had been holding in his heart for so long. His entire body relaxed, and he took on a form he had not allowed himself to become in a long time, for hatred of being weak.

Spratmon, now in his second baby form, closed his orange eyes as he felt Nick pick up his small grey, almost circular body. The blue fish-like fin that went down his back twitched a little.

The phone rang from somewhere outside the bedroom that Mark had shared with his little brother. As he heard a familiar voice (Mark's mother, Nick's mother) call out, "Nick! Come here! They found Ken! He's back!" Spratmon settled into his new partner's arms and allowed himself to sink into sweet sleep. And, finally, from deep within his heart, he knew what it was like to feel:

Peace.


End file.
